


Student Driver: Please Be Patient

by AndreaDTX



Series: Life After Death [11]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Gen, Good dad Oliver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:16:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11534895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndreaDTX/pseuds/AndreaDTX
Summary: After 15 years of being a vigilante, Oliver is used to risking his life, but this is a whole new ball game.





	Student Driver: Please Be Patient

Oliver grabbed the ‘oh shit!’ bar above the passenger window and tried very hard not to let a whimper escape. 

“Okay, Will, maybe not so much gas!”

“I’m barely touching the gas!” William shot back as they barreled in a semi-straight line through the empty parking lot. 

Oliver’s grip tightened until his hand started to hurt and the plastic started to creak from the pressure. He tried really hard not to say anything but couldn’t help it as Will veered towards a low brick retaining wall. 

“Brake. Brake! WILL, BRAKE NOW!” Oliver yelled, unconsciously stomping his on foot in the passenger foot well where the break would have been if he were behind the wheel. 

Will slammed on the brake and the car jerked to a hard stop, pitching them both forward, causing Oliver to slap both hands on the dashboard to halt his forward momentum. His seat belt locked creating a friction burn on the crease of his neck and knocking the air out of him. 

He took a moment to collect himself. “That was—better.” 

“It wouldn’t be so hard if you would stop freaking out all the time,” Will muttered. He’d been in a pissy mood since he turned 16 last month. He’d been looking forward to trading his learner’s permit for a provisional driver’s license, but so far had failed the road test twice. And for good reason. Making it worse, Tyler, Will’s girlfriend, had passed on her first attempt which left Will dependent on Oliver and Tyler for rides wherever he wanted to go. 

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you nervous.” 

“Well, you are,” Will insisted, unfastening his seat belt. He’d already opened the driver’s door before Oliver slapped one hand on the boy’s knee to force pressure on the brake and shifted the gear into Park. 

“Oh yeah,” Will murmured and slumped as an embarrassed flush crept over his ears.

“Oh yeah,” Oliver repeated. “Okay, buddy, let’s take a break.” 

Will sighed loudly. “You only call me ‘buddy’ when you’re trying not to freak out.” 

“That’s not true.” 

“It’s totally true. You called me buddy for a whole week when I first came to live with you. You called me buddy when you couldn’t get me to stop crying when I’d wake up with nightmares. You called me buddy that time I decided to climb all the way up the outside of the swivel slide at the park. And that time I tried to do tight rope walking across the loft wall.” 

Oliver’s stomach dipped at just the memory of looking up to see his then eleven-year-old son balancing on a four-inch ledge twenty feet in the air. _Alright, buddy. That’s awesome, but it’s time to come down. Now.  
_

Okay. Maybe he did. So sue him. 

“Well, would you rather I flip out or something?” Oliver unfastened his own seat belt and climbed out of the car, resisting the urge to kiss the solid ground. 

Will rounded the back of the car to sit on the trunk. “No. I just want you to trust me.” 

Oliver joined him, leaning against the back instead of sitting on it. “I absolutely trust you. I wouldn’t put you behind the wheel of 4,000 pound of steel if I didn’t trust you. But you’re still learning how to control this thing and my natural instinct as your dad is to be nervous.” 

Will rolled his eyes. “I bet you were a great driver right out the gate. You’re good at everything.” 

Oliver laughed. “Are you serious? I wrecked three cars in my first year. I would have been on the bus if my parents hadn’t been filthy rich CEOs. I’m pretty sure my dad bribed or blackmailed the DMV guy to rubber stamp my road test.”

Will’s eyes lit up. 

“No,” Oliver said with a laugh. 

“What’s the fun having a dad who’s the mayor if you never get to abuse it?”


End file.
